Sponsorship Speech: Creation of the Lone District of the City of Biñan in the Province of Laguna

10 December 2014

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I have the honor to report to the Senate House Bill no. 3917 under Committee Report no. 72 which seeks to separate Biñan City from the first legislative district of the province of Laguna to constitute a lone legislative district.

The City of Biñan is one of the three local government units comprising the first legislative district of the province of Laguna. The City of San Pedro and the city of Sta. Rosa are the two others.

The City of Biñan is a first class component city. Prior to its cityhood in 2010, Biñan was the richest municipality in the Philippines with an annual gross income of ₱677 million and net income of ₱250 million as of 2007, based on the record from the commission on audit. In the last three years, it has been reported that the city generated an average annual gross income of 1.3 billion pesos.

Because of its proximity to Metro Manila, the city has become one of the top investment places of multi-national companies. It has two world-class industrial parks, the Laguna international industrial park and the Laguna technopark incorporated. These industrial parks are home to various local and multi-national companies that employ a large number of its residents, as well as residents of other places. To name a few, they are Honda parts manufacturing corporation, Toshiba Philippines , Hitachi Computer Products Asia, Gardenia Bakeries Philippines , Inc., Nidec Corporation, Isuzu Philippines , Atlas Capco, Ryonan Electric, Cirtek Electronics, Nissin Brake and Kito Corporation.

In the explanatory note of the proponent, Representative Danilo Ramon S. Fernandez of the first district of Laguna, which was expounded during the hearing by the Mayor of Biñan, the Honorable Lenlen Alonte-Naguiat, it was explained that since the approval of R.A No. 9740 otherwise known as “An act converting the Municipality of Biñan in the Province of Laguna into a component city to be known as the City of Biñan” in October 2009, the city has grown extensively both in terms of population and income. Consequently, the city is now entitled to have its own legislative district.

The City of Biñan has a population of 283,396 based on the 2010 census of population and housing issued by the Philippine statistics authority and declared official by the president under Proclamation No. 362 dated March 30, 2012.

The population count is expected to continue to rise drastically in the coming years because of immigration, as the city has become both a suburban residential community of and a popular locus for large businesses that provide thousands of employment.

The 1987 Constitution, particularly under Article VI, Section 5, Sub-paragraph 1 mandates that the House of Representatives shall be composed of not more than two hundred and fifty members, unless otherwise fixed by law, who shall be elected from legislative districts apportioned among the provinces, cities, and the metropolitan manila area in accordance with the number of their respective inhabitants, and on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio, and those who, as provided by law, shall be elected through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations.

Furthermore, Article VI, Section 5, Sub-paragraphs 3 of the Constitution provides, that:
(3) each legislative district shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacent territory. Each city with a population of at least two hundred fifty thousand, or each province, shall have at least one representative.

With the noted increase in the population of the City of Biñan, which is now reported to have exceeded the 250,000 population threshold under the constitution for a city to be entitled to one legislative district, the said city indeed deserves its own seat in the house of representatives.

It is for this reason, Mr. President, that I earnestly request my colleagues in this august chamber to join me in approving House Bill no 3917 under Committee Report No. 72.